A Democratic township clerk in Michigan was caught on tape calling a township supervisor an "arrogant n----r," Saginaw News reports.
Gloria Platko can be heard on the recording of a telephone conversation using the slur to describe Buena Vista Township supervisor Dwayne Parker, with whom she had an ongoing disagreement. The tape was played at the town's Board of Trustees meeting April 22.
Interim township manager Dexter Mitchell, who recorded the call in January, called for Patko's resignation:
Mitchell said he recorded the call in January without Platko’s knowledge because he didn’t want her to twist his words. About six minutes into the recording, Mitchell asks, "Would you be willing to sit down with (Parker)?"
Platko told Mitchell that Parker is "just rubbing me the wrong way.
"He is just doing whatever he can. You know what I think of Mr. Parker right now, and I know you’re not even going to like this," Platko said in the recording. "But he’s just an arrogant (N-word). And I’m sorry to say it that way, but that’s the way I feel."
Platko said she was taught at a young age there was nothing wrong with the use of the N-word and believes people are making too much of the situation:
"Every race of people have (N-words), every culture has (N-words)," 69-year-old Platko said. "Look up the definition. I learned that way back in grade school. I learned that at St. Joe’s and Holy Rosary.
"They're blowing this up and trying to make it a racial thing and it’s not. I will defend any black person in this township except Dwayne Parker — he’s a lowlife."